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Re: General Tour Chat

Minaj Is Queen wrote:When i tried to get tickets for her tour in the UK they were all sold out so ive goto try nextime she comes for another tour in the uk to get VIP so i can meet the queen'When i retire tell them THINK PINK!'

fingers crossed we both get VIP next time Nicki does a UK i hope she does a one soon

RE: General Tour Chat

MIAMI -- Plagued by poor run support this season, Anibal Sanchez turned really stingy Tuesday. The right-hander allowed only an unearned run in seven innings to remain unbeaten in 19 starts against Washington, and the Miami Marlins beat the Nationals 3-1 to break the franchise record for victories in a month. The Marlins are 20-8 since May 1, best in the majors. "I want 20 wins every month," manager Ozzie Guillen said. The Marlins climbed six games above .500 for the first time since last June 4. Greg Dobbs, pinch-hitting for Sanchez, drove in the run that put Miami ahead to stay with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Hanley Ramirez hit his eighth homer leading off the eighth. The Marlins made the most of seven hits, and Sanchez (3-3) snapped a streak of losses in three consecutive starts. "I felt good today," he said. "I was waiting for the run support." Sanchez allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out five. He improved to 8-0 against Washington with a 1.97 ERA. "I know the records," he said. "I know I throw good against them." This season he has thrown well against nearly everyone. His ERA is 2.56, and he ranks among the NL leaders with 67 strikeouts. "He throws strikes and changes speeds," Guillen said. "Thats all you have to do." Reliever Steve Cishek walked consecutive batters to load the bases in the eighth, then struck out Bryce Harper and retired Ryan Zimmerman on a grounder. "We had them in the spot where we should score a run," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "We had the right guys up. It just didnt happen. Its frustrating, but thats baseball." The Nationals went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and are 1 for 12 in the series. Their only run scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by Corey Brown, starting for the first time this season after joining the Nationals from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. Pinch-hitter Jhonatan Solano, making his major league debut, doubled with two out in the ninth before Heath Bell completed the five-hitter for his ninth save in 13 chances. Edwin Jackson (1-3) allowed only two runs, one earned, in 6 2-3 innings. Hes 0-3 in his past eight starts even though his ERA this season is only 3.17. "You cant do much better than he did," Johnson said. Miami broke a 1-all tie with an unearned run in the seventh. Chris Coghlan singled and went to third when Jackson made a wild pickoff throw, and Dobbs brought the run home. "It was a well-pitched ballgame on both parts," Jackson said. "Its who can make the least amount of mistakes, and they capitalized on that mistake." The Marlins had only one hit until the sixth, when they scored on a double by Omar Infante and a two-out RBI double by Giancarlo Stanton to make it 1-all. Ian Desmond, who grounded out on the 10th pitch he saw in his first at-bat, singled for the Nationals first hit to start the fifth. He stole second and continued to third when the throw was errant. When he broke for home on a 1-1 pitch, Brown laid down a squeeze bunt that left the Marlins without a play at the plate. Harper tripled with two out in the sixth, but Zimmerman grounded out against Sanchez to end the inning. "Anibal has been very consistent," Guillen said. "Finally his teammates contributed to give him a win." NOTES: The Nationals accepted the contract of OF Erik Komatsu, who was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse. ... The Nationals recalled Solano nine days after his brother Donovan broke into the majors with the Marlins. Their parents flew Tuesday from Colombia to attend the game, and didnt seem to mind that neither son was in the starting lineup. Mom wore a Marlins jersey, and Dad wore a Nationals jersey. ... Miamis Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to 10 games. ... Washington C Jesus Flores (right hamstring) will likely sit out at least another game or two, Johnson said. ... RHP Josh Johnson, scheduled face the Nationals on Wednesday, is 7-0 in 14 starts against them with an ERA of 3.22. RHP Chien-Ming Wang makes his first start of the year for the Nationals as they try to avoid being swept. Elite Bernie Kosar Jersey . Mr. Stewart is going on an all-expenses paid trip for him and three friends, who will be his own personal "cheer squad" at the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier in Edmonton, AB, where he will shoot during the fifth-end break of the gold-medal game. Brandon Weeden Jersey .C. -- As soon as his foot struck the ball, Chandler Catanzaro knew that No. http://www.brownssportsfanstore.com/pink-t-j-ward-womens-jersey-fw-44.html . So, too, are the chances of the team finishing in last place in the league. And that to coach Ralph Krueger is a step in the right direction. Browns Jim Brown Jersey . The 2012-13 Toronto Raptors (23-37) have experienced ups and downs in many shapes and sizes but on Saturday night their once-salvagible campaign, their playoff aspirations - however slim - may have come to an unofficial conclusion. Youth Brandon Weeden Jersey .Y. -- New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace retired again from the NBA on Wednesday after he was unable to recover from a left foot injury.EDMONTON - Devan Dubnyk is doing everything he can to remain the Edmonton Oilers starting goaltender.Dubnyk made 31 saves and the Oilers beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Tuesday.Edmonton has two wins in three straight games with Dubnyk in goal.Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Eric Belanger scored for the Oilers (19-26-5), who prior to the last three games had lost eight of the nine.Dubnyk, who has served as the backup to Nikolai Khabibulin for the bulk of the season, has been forced to make a total of 118 saves during his three-game run.â��Its been nice to get the opportunity to keep going and roll with it,â�� he said. â��I have felt good throughout the year but there were some small things that I needed to work on to get to this point. I certainly cant take it for granted. I have to keep my nose down and realize what is allowing me to do this to keep doing it.â��Dubnyk kept the Oilers in the contest after they slowed down dramatically from a good start to the contest.Peter Mueller and Gabriel Landeskog responded for the Avalanche (26-24-2), who have lost three in a row and have fallen out of a playoff position.Colorado coach Joe Sacco said his team cant afford to keep giving up points at this time of the year.â��There wasnt enough (desperation),â�� he said. â��This is playoff hockey for us right now and we need to have more urgency right from the start. You have to be ready to start on time in this league. This is a no-excuse business.â��Edmonton came close to starting the scoring three minutes in when Ben Eager sprung Anton Lander on a breakaway. Lander had Colorado starter Semyon Varlamov beat with a backhand that hit the post and rattled out of harms way.Two minutes later it was a 1-0 game for the Oilers when Eberle swung around from behind the net and used his second whack to stuff the puck between the post and Varlamovs skate. AHL call-up Philippe Cornet earned an assist on the goal in just the second shift of his NHL debut.Edmonton kept the pressure coming with five minutes left in the opening frame when Ales Hemsky had the Colorado netminder beat but hit the teams second post of the night.The Oilers made it 2-0 on the power play with just over two minutes remaining in the first when Belanger blasted home just his second of the season from the top of the circle.Colorrado had its best chance to that point seconds later when Chuck Kobasew almost had a short-handed break on the second half of a double-minor penalty, but Dubnyk hustled out of the net to poke-check the puck away.ddddddddddddThe Avalanche made it a 2-1 game just over a minute into the second period when Kobasew through the puck through the crease and Mueller was able to whack in his fourth of the year.Two minutes later it was Edmontons turn to be saved by a post when Ryan OByrne unleashed a point shot that had Dubnyk beat but rattled soundly off the cage.The Oilers regained their two-goal advantage six minutes into the third when Varlamov allowed a big rebound on a Hemsky shot and Hall was there to shovel in his 17th of the season.â��It was nice to get that one and hold on in the end. Nice to get the win,â�� Hall said.Colorado cut the lead to 3-2 midway through the third when Dubnyk was able to make a stop on a Milan Hejduk backhander but couldnt get back in position to stop Landeskog, who was left pretty much alone in front of the net, from lifting in the rebound.Dubnyk came up with a huge glove save to rob Ryan OReilly at the side of the net with two minutes to play to preserve the win.Both teams return to the ice on Thursday when the Oilers play host to the Chicago Blackhawks and the Avalanche return to Colorado to start a four-game homestand against Minnesota.Notes: It was the fourth meeting of the season between the two teams. Edmonton won two of the first three. a The Oilers have had a strong record of late at home against the Avs, taking points in 12 of the last 13 games with an 8-1-4 record. a Colorado is tied for the most games played this season with Carolina. a Edmonton has had more than its fair share of injures this season but the players are starting to return to the lineup. Forward Ben Eager was the latest to return on Tuesday, one game after veteran defenceman Ryan Whitney rejoined the team. Rookie phenom Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and defencemen Tom Gilbert and Cam Barker have all resumed skating and could be back within a week. a Jordan Eberles goal was his 19th of the season. He had 18 in his rookie season last year. a Colorados Matt Duchene (knee) is still reportedly several weeks away from returning to the lineup and remains out indefinitely. ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders suspended linebacker Rolando McClain on Friday for two games for conduct detrimental to the team after sending him home from practice earlier in the week. Coach Dennis Allen announced the suspension but has not said publicly what McClain did to warrant the punishment other than calling it a team-related issue. McClain was present at the start of practice Wednesday before being asked to leave amid speculation he might be released. Allen asked McClain to stay home from the facility on Thursday, saying there needed to be "consequences to his actions." He told McClain on Friday that those consequences were a suspension, starting with Sundays game against Cleveland. "Im not going to get into any of the specifics of anything that happened, that went into the decision," Allen said. "Thats team-related matters. Were going to keep that within the family." Allen said he discussed the decision with general manager Reggie McKenzie but made the move himself. McKenzie said there was more than one incident that led to the suspension and it was possible that McClain had played his final game as a Raider. "Its going to be on him. I dont feel the need to approach him. So far, he is not apologetic," McKenzie said. "We wouldnt suspend him unless it was something major, including all that stuff off the field and on the field and all that. I think a two-game suspension pretty much says its an issue." McClain is eligible to return from the reserve/suspended by club list on Dec. 10. The Raiders can add a player to the 53-man roster until then. McClain will lose about $114,000 of his $970,000 base salary. Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said McClain was very upset after being kicked out of practice on Wednesday. Kelly said he hopes McClains career is not hurt by a "small disagreement" with a coach. "Me personally, if I was him, Id come back and do what they ask me to do and whatever happens after that, just deal with it," Kelly said. "But you never want to put yourself in a position where a team is going bad and they can just put all that on you. I just dont want him to get in a situation where hes the scapegoat. ... Hes not whats wrong with the team. Its a collective effort. We all had our hands in it to this point so I just dont want him to be put in that position and know that if you do these certain things, thats how youre going to be cast." McClain was the eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft after helping Alabama win a national championship the previous season. He has struggled so far in his career and has had his playing time sharply reduced in recent weeks. In 41 career games with Oakland, McClain had 6 1/2 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, no fumble recoveries and did little to help improve Oaklands struggling run defence. The Raiders (3-8) have allowed 169 points in losing the past four games and are on pace to give up the second-most points ever in a 16-game season. After being essentially an every down player for the first two years of his career, McClain was demoted after the first month of this season. He was replaced by rookie Miles Burris in nickel packages because of his struggles in pass coverage and because the coaching staff believed he tired too easily playing every down. He has gone from playing more than 90 per cent of defensive snaps to just over half the past seven games. McClain also had problems off the field. He was involved in a shooting in Alabama last November when he left the team briefly during the season to attend a family funeral. McClain had been convicted of four misdemeanours in May but he appealed and the charges were recently dropped when the accuser told prosecutors he no longer wanted to pursue the case. Recently acquired Omar Gaither will take McClains spot in the lineup against Cleveland. Since being signed by Oakland on Nov. 14, Gaither has only played on special teams in two games but the coaches say he has learned the new system quickly. NOTES: Allen said third-string QB Terrelle Pryor will likely be active for the first time this season and could see some action. ... RBs Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson are listed as questionable after missing three games with sprained right ankles. They will both be game-time decisions. ... QB Carson Palmer practiced fully after being limited by a thumb injury Thursday and should be fine for the game Sunday. Black Cameron Wake Jersey . -- Derrick Rose is curious, too. Dolphins #11 Jersey . I got flooded with trade scenarios and opinions, so that is touched on in this weeks Tweet Bag, along with some talk about perceived sleights by the referees. http://www.dolphinssportsfanstore.com/ . -- Rick Pitino said Tuesday that he wont coach past the 2016-2017 season when his current contract ends at Louisville. Youth Ryan Tannehill Jersey . Jordan Zimmermann has been downright dominant. The right-hander turned in another dazzling performance with two-hit ball over eight innings, Ian Desmond hit a two-run homer in the fourth and the Nationals finally beat the Atlanta Braves, 2-0 Wednesday night. Mike Wallace Jersey .C. -- Joe Cannon does not want to wear the backup label with the Vancouver Whitecaps this season. SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A fresh start in a familiar place is bringing out the best in Nnamdi Asomugha. The four-time All-Pro cornerback felt right at home Saturday as the San Francisco 49ers practiced in pads for the first time in training camp, using the size and press-coverage skills that made him a star during his first stint in the Bay Area. Asomugha is looking to regain the form at age 32 that made him one of the NFLs elite defensive players during his first eight seasons with the Oakland Raiders. And the defending NFC champion 49ers are looking for an upgrade in their secondary, which struggled in the playoffs during the teams run to the Super Bowl last season before losing All-Pro safety Dashon Goldson to free agency earlier this spring. Asomugha, after a forgettable two seasons with Philadelphia, feels he can give the Niners a lift in his return to a region where he also starred during his college days at the University of California. With San Francisco coming off its first trip to the Super Bowl in 18 years, Asomugha has felt a lift of inspiration and incentive as he embraces his new team. The 11th-year veteran has never been to the playoffs. "Theres always this feeling of a fresh start because the previous season has never really been that great," Asomugha said Saturday. "In my career Ive never been on a playoff team, so its never been like were going to build off that playoff year from the year before. The fact that theyre building off the Super Bowl definitely changes the whole landscape of how this season is going mentally for me so far. Its a fresh start, but its building off success." Asomugha needed a fresh start after his time with the Eagles, who were proclaimed a Super Bowl contender after Asomugha signed a five-year, $60 million deal as one of the NFLs top free agents of 2011. But the Eagles faltered during Asomughas two seasons and some wondered whether his best days were behind him. Asomugha ranked near the bottom of starting NFL cornerbacks last season in several statistical categories, and waas released in March when he and the Eagles could not agree on terms of a restructured contract.dddddddddddd Asomugha is putting that behind him with the 49ers, working to find his niche on a team that finished third in the NFL last season in total defence and fourth in passing defence. "Im kind of still letting it play out," Asomugha said. "I think Ive been fitting in well so far just learning the defence and being able to make plays out there. Thats been one of the big things Ive been happy about, my ability to make plays in this defence so far judging out there from the spring and summer. Now that its early in training camp, Im just focusing on getting better." Asomugha will have to earn his spot on the team after signing a modest one-year, $1.35 million deal in April. The 49ers return their top five cornerbacks from 2012, and there also are other newcomers vying for playing time in the secondary: veteran free agent Craig Dahl and rookie first-round draft pick Eric Reid. But defensive co-ordinator Vic Fangio is known for his aggressive style, and his system that mixes man and zone coverage appears to be a good fit for Asomugha, who calls it, "a really nice scheme. The aggressive nature of this defence is just really good. And the players that are around this defence helps anybody out." Asomugha will have to be able to help the 49ers in coverage situations if hes to find success again in the Bay Area, where he played in three Pro Bowls with the Raiders. His NFL experience and knowledge have been a plus so far, but his time in San Francisco will be determined by his ability to lock down on wide receivers. "The hunger is definitely there," Asomugha said. "Its definitely a different culture. The whole environment is a lot more positive, a lot more upbeat, a lot more optimistic. And its true optimism. Its not like all the 32 teams in the league coming in and saying this is the year were going to win the Super Bowl. Its coming from a real place. Ive never been around that." ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

Their hands were raised in triumph, but Great Britains eyes were masked by defeat. Great Britain won their first-ever silver medal in the team competition for mens artistic gymnastics at London 2012, but lost it to Japan after an official inquiry. An official protest submitted by Japan changed Kohei Uchimuras difficulty ranking on the pommel horse. His score was changed to a 14.100 from a 13.466 after the inquiry was accepted. The Brits lost their silver medal to Japan as a result, having to settle for bronze. Japans protest was nothing compared to the crowds when the final scores were announced after the inquiry was accepted. A chorus of anger erupted from the crowd as the home crowd learned that Team GB had won, but promptly lost, their only silver team medal ever. The Duke of Cambridge, William, and Prince Harry, were just two of the thousands of Brits in the stadium on their feet for Team GB after finding out they had won the medal. "Maybe there will be a royal inquiry," joked CTVOlympics analyst Rod Black after Great Britain was demoted to bronze. The judges have not yet spoken publicly about their decision, but there have been rumours of disagreement among the judges about the change. Beijing 2008 Champion China captured the gold medal in the mens artistic gymnastics team competition at London 2012 for the second Olympic Games in a row. More to come. BenJarvus Green-Ellis Jersey For Sale .Y. - Young rosters, small budgets, limited expectations. Elite Jermaine Gresham Jersey . Just days after reports surfaced that the Flyers have made inquiries about Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, Snider was asked by Philly. http://www.bengalssportsgear.com/Bengals-Andre-Smith-Nike-Jersey-Cz-35.html . - Blake Griffin is out of the Olympic-bound U. Nike BenJarvus Green-Ellis Jersey . It only took 108 shots for Taylor to make a mockery of the college basketball record books. Taylor scored 138 points to shatter the NCAA scoring record in Division III Grinnells 179-104 victory over Faith Baptist Bible on Tuesday night in Grinnell, Iowa. Youth Bengals Jersey . The Bears hired former Montreal Alouettes special teams coordinator/running backs coach, Andy Bischoff, and Saskatchewan Roughriders assistant head coach and defensive line coach, Mike Sinclair on Friday.(Sports Network) - The struggling Calgary Flames look for an offensive boost when they host the Minnesota Wild in a Northwest Division battle on Saturday night. Calgary, which is 14th in the Western Conference standings, has lost its last two games in regulation and managed a total of one goal over those contests. The Flames were dealt a 4-0 loss Monday at Phoenix and then opened a three- game homestand on Wednesday with a 3-1 setback to the Los Angeles Kings. T.J. Brodie scored the lone goal of the game for the Flames, who have dropped three of their last four games. Joey MacDonald gave up all three goals on 33 shots in the loss. "On Friday, were going to be working on defensive zone coverage," said Calgary head coach Bob Hartley. "We need to find a way to be a more responsible team in our own zone." The Flames are 2-5-2 as the host this season and will complete their homestand Sunday against Phoenix. The Wild will aim for their first three-game winning streak of the season tonight. Minnesota, which has a 4-1-1 record over its last six games, has posted consecutive victories against Detroit and Edmonton to record its fourth two- game winning streak of the season. Matt Cullen scored twice and also added an assist in Thursdays 3-1 win at Edmonton. Devin Setoguchi scored the go-ahead goal early in the final frame, while Niklas Backsstrom stopped 27 shots in the win.dddddddddddd After a scoreless first frame, Edmonton opened the scoring at the 12:26 mark of the second when Ryan Smyth beat Backstrom on a wraparound. It was all Minnesota from there, however, as the Wild scored three unanswered goals to take control. "A great response and a great job by our guys sticking with our game," Wild coach Mike Yeo said of his team battling back from a goal down. Things got a bit chippy late in the contest when Minnesota forward Cal Clutterbuck took a vicious knee-to-knee hit from Edmonton forward Taylor Hall near the red line. Hall received a five-minute major and a game misconduct, while Clutterbuck was unable to put any weight on his left leg as he was helped off the ice, where a stretcher was waiting for him just beyond the end boards. Clutterbuck missed practice on Friday, but appears to have escaped serious injury with what is being called a thigh contusion. He is expected to miss Saturdays game and there is no timetable for his return. Hall was suspended two games by the NHL for the hit. Thursdays win was just the second on the road this season for the Wild, who are 2-4-1 as the guest. The Wild posted a 2-1 shootout win in Calgary on Feb. 11 and have won six of the last 10 meetings in this series. Minnesota has four victories in its last six trips to the Saddledome. ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

NASHVILLE -- The North Carolina State Wolfpack struggled away from home this season, and nothing changed on a neutral site in Music City. Mike Glennon was intercepted three times, and the Wolfpack also had two fumbles Monday in losing the Music City Bowl to Vanderbilt 38-24. "We hurt ourselves and when you play against a team like Vanderbilt, you cant do that," N.C. State interim head coach Dana Bible said. "Nobody wanted to do that. Nobody was remiss in that area, but we practiced hard through December to make sure ball security was right at the top. But obviously we didnt get that done." The Wolfpack (7-6) came into the bowl with 28 turnovers this season, and they wound up with at least four for a fifth game. That snapped N.C. States bowl winning streak at two since dropping the Papajohns.com Bowl to Rutgers on Dec. 29, 2008. Glennon finished his final game 35 of 53 for 383 yards and helped the Wolfpack outgain Vanderbilt 424-225 in total offence -- but he was also sacked three times. Bible, who filled in after Tom OBrien was fired at the end of the regular season, took blame for two of Glennons interceptions and said he was trying to be aggressive against a Southeastern Conference team. "We werent going to play it safe," Bible said. "We werent going to play back on this team. We were going to be attacking on it, and if they made a play on it more power to them." Now that the season is over, Dave Doeren, whos been working on the same fourth floor as the rest of OBriens staff, can take over fully. Bible said he hadnt thought of his future, dedicating himself to trying to be both offensive co-ordinator and head coach for the Wolfpack for this bowl. "So well see what happens," Bible said. "Ill have time to sit down and think about that and see what the future holds." Glennon, expected to be among the top prospects for the NFL draft in April, said he thinks the N.C. State program will be in good shape. "I am sure the new coach will do a good job," Glennon said. "I think we have a lot of talent coming back." A sign that this wasnt the Wolfpacks day came on the opening drive, when a third-down snap in the shotgun went a couple feet over the head of the 6-foot-6 Glennon. It could have been worse because Vanderbilt (9-4) scored only 17 points off the turnovers. The Wolfpack also didnt force a mistake by Vanderbilt, either, though cornerback David Amerson has led the Atlantic Coast Conference in interceptions each of the past two seasons. With so many short fields, Vanderbilt threw the ball only 27 times with even running back Zac Stacy attempting a halfback pass to his quarterback. N.C. State held opponents to just 14.3 points a game in its six home games. The Wolfpack struggled away from that field, giving up 34.8 points per game. "This was a business trip," N.C. State senior safety Earl Wolff said. "We were here to play football. That was our main thing, goal. It is hard but (if) we are going to lose, lose with pride, lose with dignity." The Commodores finished 9-4 for their best record since going 9-1 in 1915, and its only the third time the smallest and only private university in the SEC has won as many as nine games in a season. Vandy closed the season with seven straight wins for its longest streak since an eight-game run in 1948, and its 15 wins over the past two seasons is the programs best total since 1926 and 1927. "When youre throwing out dates like 1915, you know thats a very, very, very long time," Vandy coach James Franklin said. "Talk about these guys great-great grandparents. Seven-game win streak is the teams longest win streak since 1948, and we also currently have the longest win streak in the SEC, which were very, very proud of." The Commodores took control from the opening drive, moving 65 yards for a touchdown that put them ahead to stay. Officials initially called Chris Boyd out of bounds, but the video review showed the sophomore got the toes of his right foot down for a 5-yard TD pass from Rodgers. Commodores safety Kenny Ladler picked off a Glennon pass at the North Carolina State 45 for Vanderbilts fifth interception in three games. Vanderbilt wound up matching the most points the Dores had ever scored in a bowl game by halftime with a 28-14 lead. "They were better today," Wolff said. Youth Mark Gastineau Jersey . "I just didnt have it. I tried," Anthony said after scoring just nine points before leaving early in the third quarter of the Knicks 117-94 blowout loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday night. Womens Mark Gastineau Jersey . It wasnt a blueprint to win now. Still, new owner Jim Crane didnt think it would be this bad. The Astros have shed almost $40 million from their opening day roster and have a payroll of just $21.3 million as of last week. Nine players on other teams will make more than that by themselves this season, led by Alex Rodriguez ($30 million). http://www.jetssportsfanstore.com/Jets-Santonio-Holmes-Nike-Jersey-Qh-28.html . Nilsson, who won the 2009 Saint-Omer Open, carded his best round of the year by three strokes on the Albatross Course at Le Golf National. His best finish this season came two weeks ago when he shared 38th at the BMW International Open. Jets Curtis Martin Jersey . Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez also connected for the Tigers, who became the first team this season to score more than one run against Baltimore. Derrek Lee hit his first homer with the Orioles and Vladimir Guerrero got his first RBI. Nick Mangold Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have signed a non-binding letter of intent to purchase the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League in Terry Pegulas latest bid to expand his hockey empire.SOCHI, Russia -- Charles Hamelin of Sainte-Julie, Que., earned a gold medal in a World Cup short-track speedskating event Saturday. Hamelin captured a mens 500-metre event for his eighth medal in nine individual races this season and second gold. Hamelin was second through most of the final behind Chinas Dajing Wu. But Hamelin managed to kick his foot out at the finish to post a winning time of 41.092 seconds. Wu settled for second in 41.095 with Russian Vladimir Grigorev third in 41.165. "In the 500, I usually lead or Im second, but in the first lap I will pass to make sure Im leading for the reminder of the race," he said. "Today I was second right off the start and I tried to make a pass after two-and-a-half laps, but without success. "I knew my last chance was going to be at the finish and I took that chance. We finished the race and I waited impatiently for the result.dddddddddddd I got the gold medal." Vincent Cournoyer, of Boucherville, Que., was 11th while Olivier Jean, of Lachenaie, Que., finished 15th overall. Marianne St. Gelais, of Saint-Felicien, Que., was fifth in the womens event while Gabrielle Waddell of Red Deer, Alta., was sixth and Caroline Truchon of Chicoutimi, Que., was seventh. Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, Que., was ninth in the mens 1,500-metre event while Guillaume Bastille of Riviere-du-Loup, Que., was 12th. Valerie Maltais of La Baie, Que., finished seventh in the womens 1,500-metre race while Jessica Hewitt of Kamloops, B.C., was eighth and Marie-Eve Drolet of Laterriere, Que., was 16th. The womens relay team of Drolet, Hewitt, Maltais and St. Gelais was second to Korea in the semifinal round but still qualified for the final. ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

TORONTO - He outmuscles the Carolina forward for the puck along the wall in the defensive zone. He winds up at his own goal-line and bursts through the neutral zone with loads of speed. He shifts the puck from forehand to backhand and blows by the Carolina defender. He cuts into the blue paint. His first attempt draws some iron. He tucks it in with one last push. "He was determined," said Leaf coach Randy Carlyle afterward, "and he wasnt going to take no for an answer." He was Joffrey Lupul and on Thursday night at the Air Canada Centre, he helped rescue his team from defeat, going end to end for the Highlight of the Night and game-winning goal as the Leafs picked up points for the seventh straight game (4-0-3), helping to further solidify their playoff position with 13 games to go. "We were confident we were going to win the game the whole time," Lupul remarked of the eventual 6-3 victory. "And thats a sign of our team really maturing â�¦ last year we probably wouldnt win that game and this year we did." The goal simply doused another batch of fuel on the sizzling Lupul fire. He has sniped at least a goal in all five games upon his return from injury, totaling seven markers and a pair of assists in that impressive span. For the Leafs, it was the tipping point on a game they needed to capture. Their two-goal lead opposite a floundering Hurricanes squad - now having lost seven straight - had been erased entirely and a near-certain victory was in peril. "Not a lot of things were going right for us for a little while there in the hockey game," Carlyle noted, "but they reached back and found a way and thats what its about. Its about getting points here." A one-time rocket from Dion Phaneuf knotted the score. And then with just over three minutes to go in regulation - his feed setting up that game-tying goal - Lupul grabbed the puck and failed to let go. "We were just kind of in shock that he took it from end-to-end and took it right into the paint like that," Cody Franson said. "But thats the kind of thing that hes capable of doing." "Pretty sick," added James Reimer, who made 19 saves. "You dont get to witness something like that very often." The goal and eventual victory opened up a 10-point cushion between the two clubs, an opportunity to bury the Hurricanes from view snatched in the final moments. Holding onto the six-seed in the East, the Leafs with 42 points, are now just two back of the Senators, with whom they meet in Ottawa on Saturday. Five Points 1. Lupuls skating Stuck on the shelf for about eight weeks with a fractured right forearm, Lupul employed the lengthy recovery time to address at least one asset: his skating. "Yeah, big time," he said. Much of the credit he owed to Barb Underhill, the teams skating coach. Working with Lupul on the ice, Underhill also utilized a video program which allowed for comparison and review between different players. Hurricanes uber-youngster Jeff Skinner was actually one player with whom Lupul was often contrasted. "â�¦she would compare my stride to his and just see where the deficiencies were and where he was gaining speed on me so we tweaked a couple things," Lupul said. "We worked four days a week for three weeks and it certainly helped." 2. Different approach on the bench According to Carlyle, the Leaf coaching staff has evolved in their approach during games like Thursday in which a 2-0 lead evaporated in less than five minutes. "We as coaches were probably doing a poor job early in the year from ramping up the intensity instead of calming it down," Carlyle said. "We were doing too much yelling, too much talking, there was too much. So we decided that we would take a quieter, calmer approach when those things happen and really just relate to the players that we can get ourselves out of this." Carlyle recalled a discussion amongst the coaches in which assistants Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin first raised the concern. 3. Kessels burst He didnt score on Thursday night but Phil Kessel was dynamic against the Hurricanes, totaling six shots, at least one bar and a pair of assists. Kessel leads the Leafs with 18 points in March, has totaled 30 points in the last 26 games and sits a point back of Nazem Kadri for the overall team lead in scoring (34). Asked what made his linemate unique in comparison to other talents hed played with in Philadelphia, James van Riemsdyk replied, "I think just his game-breaking speed. Any time he gets the puck hes a threat to take a guy wide and get a good shot on net. Just got to find him in stride, put it on his tape and he does the rest." Tied for fifth league-wide with 24 assists, Kessel set up the first two Toronto goals, feeding Tyler Bozak for the opener before finding Cody Franson back-door for a power-play marker and 2-0 lead. 4. JVRs dry spell The van Riemsdyk goal drought continued, meanwhile. While he has piled up 14 goals on the year - tied for the team lead - he has just three in the past 17 games and none in the past nine. "Scoring goals would be a start," Carlyle said of needed changes in the 23-year-olds performance prior to the win over Carolina. "Thats what weve asked of JVR, its get back into those dirty areas, hang around the front of that net, use your size and use your speed, take bodies and pucks to the net." In addition to his words, Carlyle also took action. He replaced van Riemsdyk on the top line midway through a win over Florida on Tuesday, keeping the unit (which included Lupul) intact through Thursdays morning skate and pre-game warmup. Then just before puck-drop, he reinserted van Riemsdyk alongside Kessel and Bozak, the line combining for seven shots in the opening frame. van Riemsdyk was off the unit yet by the end of the night however with Lupul rejoining Kessel and Bozak midway through the third frame with the Leafs down a goal. 5. Message to Gardiner As Thursdays morning skate wound down, Randy Carlyle pulled Jake Gardiner aside for a conversation and demonstration on needed improvements in the defensive zone. He went on to scratch the 22-year-old against the Hurricanes. "I think Randy wants me to hit guys more," Gardiner told TSN.ca on Thursday morning, "not necessarily hit them I guess, just finish my check, rub [the opposing player] out at least. I did it last year, but I didnt really think about doing it as much as I probably should now." At a slight 184 pounds, Gardiner doesnt have the benefit of size to outmuscle opponents, but as Carlyle instructed, his positioning can stand to be more effective. "Im not going to crush anybody out there usually," Gardiner said, "its more of having good body position and being really good with my stick." Gardiner had logged 20-plus minutes in five of the six games he played upon return from the Marlies, but had endured speed bumps. He was danced by Shawn Matthias for the game-tying goal against Florida most recently. "Guys are a lot more skilled," he said of the difference between the two leagues, "and its harder to close on guys. Its definitely something I need to work on." Quote of the Night "Pretty sick. You dont get to witness something like that very often." -James Reimer on Joffrey Lupuls game-winning goal. Quote of the Night II "The buildings getting better. The fans are a little more into the game and I think they can get a sense right now that this is actually a real good hockey team." -Joffrey Lupul on the ACCs improved atmosphere. Stat Watch 4-0-3: Leaf record during a season-long seven-game point streak. 7: Goals for Joffrey Lupul during a five-game goal streak. 6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points: Numbers for Phil Kessel in March. 10-6-2: Toronto home record. 6: Points for Nik Kulemin in the past seven games, including an empty-net goal and assist on Thursday. 21: Points for Dion Phaneuf this season, tied for seventh-best among all NHL defenders. 7: Goals for Phaneuf, tied for second-best among NHL defenders. 5: Points for Tyler Bozak in the past two games, including a three-point night against the Hurricanes. Minute Watch 21:51: Joffrey Lupul, most among Leaf forwards. Up Next The Leafs head to the nations capital for a clash with the surprising Senators. cheap jerseys from china .A. Points can always find a ray of light in the darkest clouds. cheap china jerseys . Lokombo, from Abbotsford, B.C., rose two spots on the winter list. McMaster University offensive lineman Matt Sewell, University of Calgary defensive lineman Linden Gaydosh, University of Regina defensive lineman Stefan Charles and McMaster defensive lineman Ben DAguilar round out the top five. http://www.cheapjerseyschinaus.biz/ . It wasnt a blueprint to win now. Still, new owner Jim Crane didnt think it would be this bad. The Astros have shed almost $40 million from their opening day roster and have a payroll of just $21.3 million as of last week. Nine players on other teams will make more than that by themselves this season, led by Alex Rodriguez ($30 million). cheap jerseys .J. -- Rutgers running back Jawan Jamison has elected to forego his final two years of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. where to buy cheap jerseys . -- The Jim Boylan era is starting well for the Milwaukee Bucks. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The last couple weeks have been all about dry-erase boards, hours of game tape and seemingly endless hours spent in a classroom at the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility. The last three days? They have been a bit more fun for Alex Smith. The new quarterback of the Chiefs finally got to spend some time on the field with coach Andy Reid and his new teammates, even if it came during a voluntary three-day minicamp -- without pads, in the middle of April, in the echoing quiet of an indoor practice facility. "It all seems like a blur," Smith said, "but I think weve gotten in great work. We got a ton of reps in, practices were non-stop, there was no wasted time, and I felt like we took advantage of these days. We got better." The three-day minicamp is allowed under terms of the collective bargaining agreement to teams that underwent an off-season coaching change -- a sort of get-to-know-you kind of workout, one that just happens to be invaluable to teams also undergoing an off-season quarterback change. Everything has been theoretical for Smith since the trade that sent him from San Francisco to Kansas City. There have been thick binders full of plays, and film of the offence that Reid and new offensive co-ordinator Doug Pederson intend to run with the Chiefs. But there hasnt been an opportunity to get on the field until this week. On Tuesday, Smith finally got the chance to have Reid and Pederson stand over his shoulder as he unloaded passes to Dwayne Bowe, Dexter McCluster and the rest of his wide receivers. The work continued on Wednesday and wrapped up with some red-zone work on Thursday. "Before now, everythings been in the classroom," Smith said. "We havent been able to come out here with coaches, so its all been white-board and film-room talk. This is where all the teaching goes on, where all the executing goes on." Bowe, who signed a five-year deal to remain with the Chiefs this off-season, said hes already noticed a difference in practices under the new regime. Things move a bit quicker, for one thing. There is no wasted time, no idle minute. And Bowe said the play-calling is totally different -- "This guy likes to go down field, take the top off, and thats something we havent done in the past, score a lot of points," he said.dddddddddddd. The guy taking the snap from centre is different, too. Matt Cassel was released not long after Smith was acquired in the trade, so Bowe and the rest of the Chiefs wide receivers have a new voice barking out signals at the line of scrimmage. "Matt was a great quarterback, not taking that from him, but Alex has been in an offence thats pretty successful year in and year out," Bowe said, "and just working with someone who has confidence like that, it gives you some confidence." Smith isnt the only new quarterback in the huddle, either. The Chiefs also acquired free agent Chase Daniel to serve as the backup, and hes been trying to get up to speed, too. "Theyre really stressing us and making us work. Thats what this job is about," Daniel said. "If you cant handle it, you dont deserve to be here." The offence that the Chiefs intend to run should resemble the offence that Reid has run the last few years in Philadelphia. But both quarterbacks said there are elements to it that theyve seen elsewhere -- terminology and basic formations, for example. "Theres some similarities in the sense that it comes from the West Coast world," Smith said, "so the structure of the offence, the way we speak, theres a lot of similarities there, but were still learning new terms, new terminology. But the structure is the same." Reid acknowledged that the Chiefs are only scratching the surface of what they plan to do on offence, and with Smith, but the three-day head start has proven helpful. The Chiefs have a rookie minicamp scheduled for May 10-12, but they wont be able to have competitive practices again until organized team activities begin May 14. "The guys that were here before us did a good job. Were just picking up where they left off," Reid said. "The bottom line is there are some good football players here, and they want to learn, and we want to teach them, and were all in this boat together." ' ' '

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The Ottawa Senators look to increase their cushion on the eigth-seeded Winnipeg Jets in a matchup Thursday with the NHL-leading New York Rangers. The Senators ended a two-game slide with a 7-3 win Tuesday in Tampa. Milan Michalek recorded his second career hat trick and added an assist as Ottawa used two empty-net tallies to record the lopsided win over the Lightning. "I thought we had a real good start to the game and they responded well," said Ottawa head coach Paul MacLean. "But we responded to their surge and I thought that showed some of the character we have on this team." Colin Greening had a goal and an assist while Ben Bishop made 25 saves for the Senators, who are also three points behind Boston for the top spot in the Northeast Division. Bishop made his debut for the Senators after coming over from St. Louis in a trade. Bishop and Alex Auld are expected to handle Ottawas goaltending duties while No. 1 starter Craig Anderson recovers from a lacerated finger. Beginning with tonights tilt, Ottawa is playing two straight and five of its next six as the host. The Senators are 17-13-3 at Scotiabank Place this season. The Rangers will try to rebound from a rare regulation loss as they continue on a three-game road trip. The Rangers dropped a 4-1 decision Tuesday in New Jersey, dropping the Eastern Conference leaders to 13-4-3 over the last 20 games. Despite the setback, the Rangers enter tonight with a six-point lead over Pittsburgh for first place in the Atlantic Division and a 10-point cushion over Boston for the top seed in the East. With 91 points, the Blueshirts are also tied with St. Louis for the most points in the NHL. The Rangers fell to 20-9-5 on the road this year after Tuesdays loss to the Devils. David Clarkson scored the game-winner early in the third period in the 4-1 triumph for New Jersey. Derek Stepan scored New Yorks only goal, while Henrik Lundqvist gave up three goals on 28 shots in the loss. It was the Rangers first regulation setback since a 2-0 loss in Pittsburgh on Feb. 21. "We had way too many mistakes out there," said Lundqvist. "I think we kind of beat ourselves a little bit. But we just have to work through this and stick together. They made some good plays when we had some breakdowns." New York also lost forward Brandon Dubinsky on Tuesday to what was originally believed to be a hand injury, but the Rangers have since called it a sinus issue. Dubinsky did travel with the team to Ottawa and is questionable for tonight. Ottawa has taken two of three from the Rangers this year and with another win tonight, the Sens will claim this season series for the first time since 2007-08. However, New York has won six straight and seven of its last eight games in Canadas capital city. Ravens Flacco Jersey . Ronaiah Tuiasosopo spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw for the "Dr. Phil Show," the second part of which aired Friday. The 22-year-old Tuiasosopo told McGraw he was repeatedly molested by a family friend beginning at age of 12. Ravens Ray Lewis Jersey . Moss fired in a long-range goal to give Hamilton a 13-11 lead after three quarters, and the Nationals cruised from there. The Nationals (5-4) moved into a three-way tie for second place with the win. Hamiltons Brett Bucktooth opened the game with back-to-back goals as part of a season-high five-point night. http://www.ravens-jersey.com/elvis-dumervil-jersey/ . -- Former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington will serve three extra months of federal probation in a 2010 perjury case, U. Youth Justin Tucker Jersey . Andray Blatche led a bevy of Brooklyn reserves, whose most playing time has come in blowout games, with 20 points and 11 rebounds and the Nets erased an early 17-point deficit to beat the Washington Wizards 106-101 on Monday night. Black Torrey Smith Jersey . -- Up 4-0 after the first period, the Ottawa Senators probably thought they were going to be in for an easy afternoon. CALGARY -- Dane Dobbie was criticized by his coach for a flat performance last week -- and he responded with 10 points on Friday. Dobbie and the Calgary Roughnecks offence returned to its top form in a 19-15 victory over the Minnesota Swarm in National Lacrosse League action. The Roughnecks were beaten 18-13 at home by the Edmonton Rush in their last outing on March. 2. Dobbies poor play that night earned him a mid-week call from coach Curt Malawsky telling him more was expected. "He said my game wasnt there last week and it really wasnt," Dobbie said. "I had cement feet last week and this week I really brought it. I trained hard this week and our other offensive players really gave me the ball. It was a good week." Dobbies six goal, 10-point effort on Friday led the Roughnecks (6-5) and ended a two-game losing streak. Jeff Shattler added four goals and two assists for Calgary. Also scoring were Curtis Dickson and Scott Ranger with a pair each, Joe Resetarits, Nolan Heavenor, Geoff Snider, Daryl Veltman and Shawn Evans, who contributed seven assists. Malawsky went after Dobbie for "just standing around" in the loss to Edmonton. "He didnt complain," Malawsky said. "He went to the gym three times this week and got himself in better shape. He went to the real dirty areas of the floor and got some big goals when they were coming back to put some nails in the coffin." Dobbies 10-point night was one shy of matching his career best. He recorded seven goals and four assists in a 22-10 win over Edmonton on March 13, 2009. His two power-play goals tied Tracey Keluskys Roughnecks franchise record for career power-play goals. They now both have 56. Captain Callum Crawford matched Dobbies output with three goals and seven assists for the Swarm (3-7), who have dropped three in a row. Ryan Benesch had four goals and threee assists for Minnesota.dddddddddddd Kiel Matisz and Joel Henry scored a pair each, with Jeff Gilbert, Shayne Jackson, David Earl and Jordan MacIntosh adding singles. The Roughnecks scored six consecutive goals to grab an 8-3 lead midway through the second quarter and led 12-7 at the half. The teams each picked up four more goals in the third quarter as Calgary took a 16-11 advantage into the final 15 minutes. The teams were tied 3-3 after the first quarter. Minnesota had the early jump to start the game, outshooting the Roughnecks 7-1 and leading 3-2 early, but Calgary picked up the pace and shots were 14-14 after one quarter. "We didnt answer soon enough," Swarm head coach Joe Sullivan said. "Its a game of rolls and we just couldnt respond to their offence tonight." He added: "If you dont get on those earlier youre going to find yourself exactly where we found ourselves, scoring 15 goals and still losing the game. Thats just not acceptable." Mike Poulin made his 11th straight start for the Roughnecks and made 40 saves. Swarm starter Evan Kirk was chased to the bench after the Roughnecks eighth goal, which came on the 22nd shot. Tyler Carlson came on in relief. Minnesota outshot Calgary 55-52. Notes: Roughnecks rookie Jackson Decker picked up his first NLL point with a second assist on Heavenors second quarter goal. Fridays contest was Deckers third career game . . . If Dobbie scores another short-handed goal this season is will be his seventh and will break the NLL single-season record. It would also set a Roughnecks franchise record of 13 shorthanded goals, eclipsing Keluskys current mark . . . The Roughnecks next game is also at home, March 23 versus the Colorado Mammoth . . . Calgarys Mike Carnegie missed the contest due to illness, ending his consecutive game streak at 85. He last missed a game in 2008. ' ' '

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Former Calgary Flames centre Brett Sutter has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for punching a cab driver outside a Scottsdale bar last year. The 24-year-old Sutter entered his plea Monday. He is due back in Scottsdale City Court on Sept. 15 for a restitution hearing. Scottsdale police say Sutter was arrested outside the American Junkie bar about 2 a.m. on Nov. 11. The Flames were in Arizona to play the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale. Witnesses told police the cab driver didnt do or say anything to provoke Sutter as he walked by. Police say the cab driver sustained a bloody lip, and Sutter appeared to be intoxicated. Sutter was briefly jailed and the Flames traded him a week later to the Carolina Hurricanes. He is on currently on the roster of the Hurricanes American Hockey League affiliate in Charlotte. Elite Marshawn Lynch Jersey . Strasburg gave up four runs and four hits in six innings to help the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 6-4 on Sunday. Steve Largent Jersey For Sale . The 35-year-old Finn, who does not have an individual Olympic medal, told Finnish broafdcaster YLE that he was inspired to return to jumping because of changes to regulations over jumping kit and equipment and had been training for some time. http://www.seahawkssportsgear.com/Seahawks-Russell-Wilson-Nike-Jersey-Td-87.html . -- Since becoming Ryan Nelsens right-hand man at Toronto FC a month ago, assistant coach Fran OLeary has only managed to get home to Maine for a day. Youth Earl Thomas Jersey . The Canadians secured a spot in Saturdays final based on tournament standings and possible tiebreaking formulas. Canada, which is scheduled to play the hosts early Friday, can finish no worse than second place in Round 2 standings. Earl Thomas Jersey For Sale . -- Mac Carruth made 34 saves and Ryan Johansens power-play goal off a scramble stood up as the winner Sunday as the Portland Winterhawks defeated the Spokane Chiefs 2-1 in Western Hockey League playoff action.OTTAWA -- The Canadian womens hockey team a has set its sights on a fourth straight Olympic gold medal at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, and Dan Church has been tasked with leading them there. Church was named the head coach of Canadas national womens team for the next two seasons Wednesday. The 39-year-old Toronto native recently coached Canada to a gold medal at this years world championships, Canadas first world title since 2007. Canadas women have captured gold at the last three Olympics and Church knows anything less in Sochi will be a disappointment. "Were looking to get better over the next two years and to have a dominating performance by the time we get to Ottawa next year and then to the Olympics in 2014," he said. Ottawa will host the 2013 womens world championships. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Danielle Goyette was named an assistant coach for both seasons. The remaining coaching staff will be named at a later date. Church, who has coached the womens hockey team at York University the past nine years, said the team is looking forward to defending its world title on home ice next year. A selection camp will be held in Ottawa in January, and Church anticipates some stiff competition amongst players. "We have a lot of great veteran players on our team right now who lead by example and did a great job in the gold medal game and scored some big goals for us," said Church.dddddddddddd "Were also in a period where we have a lot of younger players who are making their first appearance on national teams or heading to their first Olympics or just their second Olympics. "Theres a good pool of young players who are always pushing for spots and thats a key to success. You cant get stagnant." Church and Goyette worked together at this years world championships, and Goyette believes the players will benefit from consistency in the coaching staff leading into Sochi. "Different coaches have different game plans and you cant expect players to just turn on a switch and understand a new system," said Goyette, coach at the University of Calgary for the past six years. "I think having the same coaches will definitely help the team be more competitive." Having experienced the Olympics as a player, Goyette understands the pressure players will be dealing with. But she said winning gold as a coach at the world championships was 20 times more rewarding than winning it as a player and shes excited about the opportunity to capture gold at the Olympics. "Were new coaches and now we have to put our stamp on the team," said Goyette. ' ' '

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PITTSBURGH -- The fear is gone. The doubt too for that matter. Ditto the hesitation. A year into his comeback from the concussion-like symptoms that nearly derailed Sidney Crosbys career, the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar is back atop the NHL scoring race thanks to his unparalleled mix of artistry, speed and grit. It wasnt the avalanche of points -- 50 and counting heading into Fridays game against the New York Islanders -- that let Crosbys teammates know their captain was back at the top of his considerable powers. No, the proof lay in the tight places around the net where Crosby makes his living better than anyone else. "To play down low in the defensive zone against him is a nightmare," Penguins forward Craig Adams said. "Its a long way back, but I cant imagine a guy playing better than he is right now. You cant get the puck from him." Perhaps because Crosby doesnt have to worry about getting knocked around so much anymore. Dont get him wrong, the game has never been faster. The players have never been bigger and hes never drawn more attention. Yet thanks to a series of rule changes made by the league and a shift in attitude by the guys wearing the sweaters, players say the NHL is as safe now as its perhaps ever been. "I can only speak to the games we played in, theres been a difference," Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik said. "I think guys are a little bit more conscious, a little more respectful." In the 2-plus years since Crosby sustained a concussion following a blindside hit from Washingtons David Steckel in the 2011 Winter Classic, the league has outlawed shots to the head entirely and given senior vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan great leeway in handing out punishment for dangerous plays. Though Crosby says its still too early to tell whether the steps taken by the league have made any impact on the number of concussions sustained by players, he does see evidence of guys playing more under control. "I know its changed from my first couple years, thats for sure," Crosby said. "The game is much tighter." Crosby pointed to the average number of penalties as evidence that sticks, elbows, etc., arent flying quite as much as they used to. Teams are averaging 3.6 power-play opportunities a game this season, down from 5.8 per game during Crosbys rookie year in 2005-06. Part of the decline can be attributed to the decreasing amount of open ice. After offences flourished following the 2004-05 lockout, the pendulum has swung back to more conservative, defensive-minded schemes. The result is more clutching and grabbing, sure, but also a decision by players to avoid the kind of unnecessary penalties that can tilt games. It doesnt always lead to thrilling hockey, but it can lead to smarter, safer play. "Obviously everyone needs to protect their heads and do the right thing in that mindset," Nashville forward David Legwand said. "But we also want to win hockey games and play the right way." The definition of what "right way" is, however, remains entirely up for interpretation. Where some players see progress, New York Rangers coach John Tortorella sees a problem. Tortorella believes the game has become almost too sanitized, particularly the closer to the goal the puck gets. "Underneath the hashmarks, I think you need to let us play a little bit more," he said. "And I kind of miss that part of it. I know its not going to come back to that. But I thought that was a big part of hockey back in those years, and we certainly cant do those type of things now." Tortorella isnt embracing brutality as much as he is vocalizing what is, in some ways, an identity crisis for many contact sports. Hockey is trying to preserve the spirit of the game while also protecting the health of its players. Getting hard data on concussions is difficult because many teams remain vague about the nature of an injury, often never getting more specific than "upper body" and "lower body." Even the Penguins -- one of the few progressive franchises in the league when it comes to discussing such matters -- grew reticent when reigning NHL MVP Evgeni Malkin left a game against Florida last month after sliding into the end boards. Pittsburgh declined to label Malkins injury as a concussion until two days had passed. The play in question, unlike the hit that sent Crosbys career into crisis, however, was clean. And the league understands that no amount of legislation will be able to eradicate head trauma from the game for good. Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland believes the number of players diagnosed with concussions this season are down compared to last year but even he is working mostly off anecdotal evidence. "I think were doing as good of a job as we ever have in protecting our players," he said. "But, when you have 6-foot-2, 200-plus pound players on skates going 25 miles per hour and theyre hitting each other, youre going to have some injuries." Dont mistake positive steps, however, for victory. Every week Shanahan is forced to review tape of questionable plays. Buffalo forward Patrick Kaleta received a five-game suspension three weeks ago after sending New York Rangers forward Brad Richards into the boards. Philadelphias Harry Zolnierczyk sat four games for launching his shoulder at the head of Ottawas Mike Lundin. Both penalties -- like all others handed out by the league -- were accompanied by a video from Shanahan breaking down the play and explaining what the guilty player did wrong. Coaches can then use the video as teaching moments during team meetings. Adapting can take time. Yet there are success stories. Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke was considered one of the leagues dirtiest players two years ago but has cleaned up his act to the point where when he does something wrong, it is almost a shock. He earned a rare double-minor for boarding and unsportsmanlike conduct in a win over Washington on Tuesday. Cooke said he knew he needed to change if he wanted to extend his career. And even players who lack Cookes pedigree as an enforcer have taken a hard look at how they go about their business. Adams, a grinder who has spent 12 years in the NHL as an aggressive forechecker, admits there are times he gets frustrated when he skates 200 feet only to have an opposing player intentionally turn his back to Adams to try and invite a penalty. Yet Adams -- and most of his brethren -- understand the need to hold up instead of following through. Mistakes will happen. So will concussions. Yet Adams sees a league trying to maintain a portion of its soul while also getting rid of the kind of cheap shots that almost prematurely ended Crosbys career. "Were avoiding those hits," he said. "I think its starting to get into the culture that thats not OK." Jaguars #14 Jersey .E.I. Rocket hockey team in Charlottetown. Trent Birt, the teams vice-president of operations, says the deal came together Friday. Maurice Jones-Drew Jersey . But Jose Reyes wasnt the focal point of Novembers blockbuster 12-player trade that made him a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. The club officially unveiled its new star shortshop on Thursday, however when general manager Alex Anthopoulos first called the Miami Marlins about making a deal, it initially involved pitchers Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle. http://www.jaguarssportsgear.com/pink-maurice-jones-drew-womens-jersey-ew-53.html . -- Claudio Bieler scored two goals, the second on a penalty kick, and Jimmy Nielsen recorded his club-record 38th career shutout as Sporting Kansas City beat Chivas USA 4-0 on Sunday. Jaguars Maurice Jones-Drew Jersey .C. Place Stadium will host the first-ever World Cup soccer final on artificial turf in 2015. White Maurice Jones-Drew Jersey . All exhibition games for the Winnipeg Jets played at the MTS Centre will begin at 7pm ct. The Jets will open the seven-game exhibition schedule with a first-ever visit to Rexall Place in Edmonton to face the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, Sept.It will be headhunter Uriah Hall against underdog Kevin Gastelum for bragging rights in Season 17 of "the Ultimate Fighter." The two middleweight finalists, both from coach Chael Sonnens team, will meet Saturday night in Las Vegas in the live finale of the reality TV show. The winning fighter gets a contract to fight in the UFC and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Others from the cast will likely follow him given the UFC considers the TV show to be its minor league pipeline. In the taped episode that aired Tuesday night, Hall stopped Dylan Andrews by second-round TKO while Gastelum submitted Josh Samman. Both losers were from coach Jon (Bones) Jones team. The two coaches will meet at UFC 159 on April 27 in Newark, N.J. By virtue of sending two fighters to the final, Sonnen also wins a Harley-Davidson. Hall was the third fighter picked when the coaches chose teams. Gastelum was the penultimate at 13th. Hall, 28, has been a freight train all season. The Jamaican-born New Yorker had two highlight-light reel stoppages, knocking out Adam Cella with a spinning heel kick and flooring Bubba McDaniels with a punch. Both losers were on the canvas for a while. "This kid is the nastiest, deadliest, meanest, kid that we have ever seen in the history of TUF," said UFC president Dana White. "You are a contender for the (UFC) title," Sonnen told Hall after his quarter-final win over McDaniels. ";I spent five years in that weight class and youre a contender.dddddddddddd" Andrews, the last fighter picked, came forward at Hall in a first round fought entirely on the feet. But Hall scored more and had the heavier kicks and strikes. Thanks to Halls jab, Andrews had a mouse under his right eye and a lumpy face by the time the round had ended. Hall rebuffed a takedown attempt in the second. His punches continued to take a toll, bloodying Andrews face. Andrews finally got Hall down about half through the round, but Hall worked for a kimura submission from the bottom and then starting striking from below. He suddenly reversed position and hammered down blows on Andrews until the referee stepped in with seconds remaining in the round. "My heart hurts more than my face does," said an emotional Andrews, a New Zealand native who lives in Australia. At 6-3, Samman had five inches in height and seven in reach on the 21-year-old Gastelum. But Gastelum had an advantage on the ground and made the most of it in the first round. That led to a rear naked choke, with Samman never really getting his game going. "Im just in shock right now," said Samman, the fourth pick who had not been short of confidence on the show. Arizonas Gastelum advanced to the final with a submission win over McDaniels, who returned to the competition via a wild card after losing, and knocked out Collin Hart. 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RE: General Tour Chat

TORONTO – Looking for a leg up this summer, Darryl Boyce packed up and moved back east. There on Prince Edward Island, he found himself training at the offseason home of Dion Phaneuf. "He called me and he said I dont want to impose, but would it be possible to work out at your gym?" said Phaneuf, who makes his summer home on the island. "I said Not a problem at all. I told him what time the workouts were at everyday and he was there all summer long." From working out with tractor tires in the vast open fields to grueling bike rides in the crisp eastern Canadian air, Boyce teamed with the Leafs captain this summer for three solid months of offseason preparation. "The way a guy like him, a big known name around the league, how he trains and prepares was this sort of eye-opener for me," said Boyce, who moved home to P.E.I. from his former offseason dwelling in New Brunswick. "I think it was a great opportunity to train with the captain and the leader of this team." After an unexpected and largely successful run of forty-six games with the Leafs last season, Boyce is now engaged in a training camp battle with former Colorado Avalanche pivot Phillipe Dupuis for the teams fourth-line centre job. "Thats a battle-zone right there between those two guys," said Ron Wilson, following the second day of on-ice workouts at Mastercard Centre. Boyces rise is what youd consider unlikely. The 27-year-old was recalled from the Marlies in late December last season, largely expected to play one game and one game only with Mikhail Grabovski tending to his pregnant girlfriend. With a constant stream of energy and enthusiasm, the one game stint quickly grew into a year-long presence with Boyce evolving into a favourite of the head coach. During exit interviews with Wilson last spring, more of the same was preached for the 2011-2012 campaign. "They just told me point blank that they didnt know much about me until I got here and when I got here I got the opportunity to shine and I brought that for forty-six games last year," ," said Boyce, who notched five goals and 13 points (plus-8 rating). "They just said just keep your nose to the grindstone, dont change who you are; just because you played in the NHL dont try and change your game and be a different type of person. Coming into camp Im still trying to stay humble and have that grit and intensity to make this team again." Training with Phaneuf was a good start. Sprinkling in more cardio work (particularly on the bike) to improve his endurance, Boyce surpassed all of his fitness testing goals from last season and is in prime shape to wrestle a job back this fall. The 26-year-old Dupuis—a strong two-way centreman with penalty killing ability—is poised to offer a challenge. "He knows hes in a fight here for a job," said Phaneuf. "[But] he definitely worked hard and he gave himself the best opportunity by the way that he trained." -- A native of Laval, Quebec, Dupuis enjoyed his first full NHL campaign with the Avalanche last season, totaling seventy-four games. Stuck behind a talented trio of centremen in Denver—Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, and Ryan OReilly—the 26-year-old averaged just over nine minutes of ice-time, totaling six goals and 17 points. "Im here to make a spot for myself," he said. "Im here to make a name for myself. I want to play with this team. I want to play the entire year and I want to be good for the guys." -- Matt Frattin is settling into his first NHL training camp. The 23-year-old is on the outskirts of a job with the Leafs this fall, dueling with 20-year-old incumbent Nazem Kadri for a spot on the third line. "I think Im right in the mix," said Frattin, who played alongside Joe Colborne and Joey Crabb during the second batch of scrimmages on Sunday. "Definitely feel good out there strength-wise and speed-wise. I think Ive just got to work on my defensive zone a little more, just kind of getting a little sloppy. And then on the offensive side, Im just trying to pick corners a little too much." The former North Dakota star nearly scored a pair during the Sunday scrimmages, but was stopped on two breakaways by former Cornell star and nemesis Ben Scrivens. -- Wilson was typically coy in discussing his goaltending plans for the upcoming exhibition schedule, which includes five games in the next six nights. "I have four guys to pick from," said Wilson of a goalie mix that includes James Reimer, Jonas Gustavsson, Ben Scrivens and Mark Owuya. "Four guys will dress over the next three days and probably just three of them will play." Owuya is likely the odd man out for game-action. Jussi Rynnas meanwhile, suffered a minor injury during the first two days of camp and is likely to sit. Guelph goaltender Garret Sparks is not expected to dress at any point. Reimer and Gustavsson will split the final four exhibition tilts. As for lineups, Wilson indicated a constant sea of changes. "Ive got all this stuff penciled in," he said. "Cant do it in ink because night to night things happen in terms of injuries. We made a few changes from what I had put down [Sunday] morning after watching the scrimmages the last two days, putting a couple of guys in whove earned it and taking one person out who I didnt think deserve to be in a exhibition game in the first three." cheap jerseys china us . -- Dorell Wright seized the opportunity to step into the starting lineup in place of the injured Jason Richardson and responded with his best scoring performance of the season. cheapjerseyschinaus.biz . -- Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was suspended for the third time this calendar year on Thursday when the NBA told him to sit out two games without pay for starting a skirmish that sent players sprawling into the courtside seats. http://www.cheapjerseyschinaus.biz/ . Sanchez hurt his knee in Tuesday nights 9-0 win over the Atlanta Braves. An MRI on Wednesday confirmed the sprain. The Giants recalled catcher Eli Whiteside from Triple-A Fresno to move into Sanchezs role as Buster Poseys backup. cheap china jerseys . The Raptors sent centre Hamed Haddadi -- who never played for Toronto -- and a conditional second-round pick to the Suns. The deal gives Toronto a third point guard, joining Kyle Lowry and John Lucas. cheap custom nfl jerseys . Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald made the announcement Tuesday, one day after the team released Solomon Jones.MONTREAL -- Michael Ryder is making Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin look like a genius. A two-goal performance in a 4-1 victory over the slumping Winnipeg Jets on Thursday gave Ryder nine in 17 games since Bergevin got the veteran right winger and a third round draft pick from the Dallas Stars for Erik Cole in a Feb. 26 trade. Many questioned the deal at the time, but Cole was struggling in Montreal and Ryder has been hot from the outset with eight goals and eight assists since returning to the city where he began his NHL career. "I was used to the city and I knew a few guys here," said Ryder, who left as a free agent for Boston four seasons ago and then signed with Dallas last summer. "It was my first time getting traded, so that was the biggest part of it all. "But the guys welcomed me in and made me feel comfortable right away. I just tried to come in and do what I can to help the team keep winning." Ryder also set up a goal by rookie Alex Galcheyuk, while Brian Gionta had the other goal for Montreal (24-8-5). Alexander Burmistrov got his first goal in 18 games for the Jets (18-19-2), who were swept on a three-game road trip to stretch their losing streak to five. Their anemic attack has scored six goals, only three of them by forwards, in the five losses. With the defeat, Winnipeg gave up first spot in the Southwest Division to Washington and dropped out of playoff position -- from third place to 10th -- in the Eastern Conference. The Jets have nine games left -- seven of them at home -- to try to claw their way back into a playoff spot. They start a six-game homestand Saturday against Philadelphia. "Its not like we dont know whats going on," said coach Claude Noel. "I dont think you can expect to lose five straight games and expect that things arent going to change. "We know that if we continue down this road it isnt good. Thats why theres urgency. Were running out of games. We know that." The Canadiens were coming off a 4-3 loss 24 hours earlier in Philadelphia, but as they have done consistently this season, they bounced back with a win. It was the third time they responded one day after a loss with a clear win. "It was another great effort for us," said Gionta. "Back to back games are not easy in this league and weve done a great job on them this year, especially when weve lost the first one." It was a special night for the veteran back-up goalie Peter Budaj, who made 33 saves to improve to 6-1-1. He had his father, a brother and an uncle over from Slovakia among the crowd of 21,273 at the Bell Centre. "My uncle never saw me play before, so that was fun," he said. "I was glad I was able to get the start at the Bell Centre in front of a home crowd. "Im very appreciative of that, and the team played great iin front of me.dddddddddddd" Winnipeg struck first as Burmistrov was left unguarded on the left side to bang Grant Clitsomes pass into an open net 8:16 into the game. Montreal got it back on a power play at 10:47 as Ryder was alone at the edge of the crease to push Giontas rebound past Ondrej Pavelec. Ryder got his second of the night has he fired the rebound of a P.K. Subban shot past a screened Pavelec 2:03 into the second frame. Subban has eight points in his last five contests. Gionta was at the net and had Lars Ellers shot go in off him on a power play at 5:51. The Canadiens captain said the shot went in off his "upper thigh. "I apologized (to Eller) for getting in the way, but Ill take it any time," the five-foot-seven Gionta said. "Good thing Im tall, eh?" The Jets felt they had a power-play goal early in the third, but Tobias Enstroms score was called back because Blake Wheeler had bumped Budaj in the crease. Galchenyuk sealed the victory when he was at the doorstep to lift in a puck flipped into the crease area by Ryder 7:43 into the third. "Were in a funk and when you get trapped into those funks, things start to go awry and you have to try to get back on a winning streak," said Jets forward Evander Kane, who thrashed Alexei Emelin in a third period fight but got an extra 10 minutes when he pulled off the Montreal defencemans helmet and nearly hit him with it. "That happens all the time. Youre trying to get the other guys helmet off and sometimes it gets caught in your hand when youre trying to throw a punch. Thats what happened. Im not going to feel sorry about that." Dustin Byfuglien started the game at forward, was switched back to defence and sat a spell on the bench. And Noel didnt like how he played on the Galchenyuk goal. "I dont think he was very effective up front," Noel said. "This isnt the first time they put a puck at the net and hes standing beside the guy without taking his stick, so after a while, it just cant continue down that road. You have to make changes." The Canadiens edged the Jets 4-3 in Montreal on Jan. 29. Winnipeg closes out the regular season at home against Montreal on April 25. A team called the Winnipeg Jets has not won in Montreal since the former franchise (now the Phoenix Coyotes) did it on March 14, 1985. Notes: Enstrom played his 400th NHL game. . . Mike Santorelli, claimed on waivers from Florida, played his first Jets game as Nik Antropov sat out with a lower body injured sustained Tuesday on Long Island. . . Clitsome returned from one game with an eye injury. . . Montreal was without Tomas Plekanec, who has a suspected groin injury. Gabriel Dumont was recalled from AHL Hamilton but didnt dress as Ryan White returned from a six-game injury layoff. ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

Recovery is an aspect of training that is getting significant attention right now because research is revealing the various techniques you can use between workouts that will have an important effect on your response to training. By understanding and applying the science of recovery and regeneration, you can plan effectively to ensure that you give your body the help it needs to repair, heal, and grow. This is the key to becoming "the 24 hour athlete." Recovery and Regeneration The essential idea that every 24 hour athlete needs to embrace is that your attention and effort do not end when your workout is over. Because the healing and repair process is as important, if not more important, to your fitness as the actual running training, there are several things you can do when you are not pounding the pavement. In effect, fitness and training are a way of life – not just something you do when your stopwatch is running. The first stage of an effective recovery is a proper cool down, which I prefer to call "active recovery." By staying in motion at roughly 50-55% of your maximum level of exertion for a period of time after your workout – typically 10-15 minutes – you help your body remove metabolic waste products such as acids and potassium that have built up in our muscles and blood during your run. Low intensity exercise helps to increase circulation to your muscles. This is important because the longer acids and other metabolites like lactic acid (or lactate and hydrogen ions) are in your muscle fibres, the less time your body has available to work on rebuilding your muscle glycogen stores.1 If your mitochondria are battling with waste products and processing lactate, they are spending less time converting glucose into the glycogen you will need for your next run. Inflammation and Regeneration A critical phase of the recovery process is the inflammatory response that occurs as a result of exercise and training. When muscle fibres are damaged, inflammatory cells called neutrophils and macrophages move to the area and help break down and remove damaged tissue. The inflammatory process in the muscle also involves increased flow of fluids to the exercised areas, which can cause swelling and soreness. Another key step in the inflammatory process is that our body produces a powerful hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). This hormone instructs satellite cells to initiate repairs to damaged muscle fibres and begin producing new ones. This is an example of the intra-muscular response that takes place after a resistance training workout in the gym, or a hills or interval running session. The inflammatory process can take up to 72 hours to complete, so you have to make sure that you mix your hard workout days with easier training to give your body the time it needs to repair muscles and for the inflammatory response to work its magic. Inflammation is a critical healing process, and if you interfere with it you can limit your physiological progress as an athlete. Anti inflammation techniques like anti-inflammatory medicines (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or NSAIDS), cold tubs which constrict blood vessels, or compression clothing are gaining popularity because they may reduce post-workout soreness and pain but may actually slow your progress because they block or impair the inflammation process that signals the body to rebuild itself in response to the training stress. Your body needs the process of breaking down, experiencing inflammation, and making the repairs in order to develop and improve! That said, compression clothing and cold baths can be useful as you approach a race to decrease pain and to blunt the inflammatory response when you are not in the development phase of your training. They can also be helpful if you are planning 2 workouts on the same day, or if you are planning on 2 hard training days back-to-back. I know this is complicated so work with your coach to determine when its best for you to use, or not use techniques that "speed" recovery from intense exercise. Improve Your Performance Here are some keys to using regeneration to become a 24 hour athlete: - Cool down for 10-15 minutes after you work out - Let your bodys natural inflammatory response occur during your training phases so that you can maximize regeneration - Use recovery techniques strategically, not all the time It is a mental shift to think of recovery as an active process, which is why so many of us dont do it properly. Taking care of your body requires that you commit to being a 24 hour athlete and that you put as much effort into helping your body adapt between workouts as you do in the training sessions themselves. References Vescovi J, Falenchuk O, Wells, GD. Blood lactate concentration and clearance in elite swimmers during competition. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2011 Mar;6(1):106-17. Greg Wells Ph.D. (www.drgregwells.com, @drgregwells) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Faculties of Medicine and Kinesiology. He was the sport science analyst for the Olympic Broadcast Consortium during the 2010 & 2012 Games, and is the author of Superbodies: Peak Performance Secrets from the Worlds Best Athletes. Jessica Caterini is a member of the Human Physiology Research Unit in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto. http://www.drgregwells.comhttp://www.twitter.com/drgregwellshttp://www.superbodies.tvKellen Winslow Jersey For Sale . 19 Illinois to a 41-20 victory over Indiana on Saturday. Scheelhaase threw a 77-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Jenkins and Tavon Wilson returned a fumble 66 yards for a score in a three-minute span in the first quarter, pushing the Fighting Illini (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) out of an early 10-0 hole. Lance Alworth Jersey For Sale . PAUL, Minn. http://www.chargerssportsgear.com/Chargers-Kellen-Winslow-Nike-Jersey-Ga-76.html . The Philadelphia Eagles star will speak to about 450 grads of the Camelot schools, which serve at-risk youth. Camelot CEO Todd Bock said Monday that Vicks life story and his perseverance through adversity will resonate with students. Elite Dan Fouts Jersey .C. -- Serena Williams had completed a dazzling display of tennis to dominate her opponent and advance to her fourth finals of the year at the Family Circle Cup on Saturday. chargerssportsfanstore.com .4 seconds left on the clock as Temple survived for a 66-64 win over Penn State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.Find out where the worlds best fighters stand in the latest edition of the TSN.ca mixed martial arts rankings. For a breakdown of the UFC champions click here. Heavyweight 1) Junior Dos Santos2) Cain Velasquez3) Alistair Overeem4) Fabricio Werdum5) Frank Mir Didnt Make The Cut: Shane Carwin, Daniel Cormier, Josh Barnett Light Heavyweight 1) Jon Jones2) Dan Henderson3) Rashad Evans4) Mauricio (Shogun) Rua5) Lyoto Machida Didnt Make The Cut: Alexander Gustafsson, Phil Davis, Ryan Bader Middleweight 1) Anderson Silva2) Chael Sonnen3) Mark Munoz4) Vitor Belfort5) Michael Bisping Didnt Make The Cut: Tim Boetsch, Brian Stann, Hector Lombard Welterweight 1) Georges St.dddddddddddd Pierre2) Carlos Condit3) Nick Diaz4) Johny Hendricks5) Jake Ellenberger Didnt Make The Cut: Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Rory MacDonald Lightweight 1) Ben Henderson2) Frankie Edgar 3) Gilbert Melendez4) Gray Maynard5) Nate Diaz Didnt Make The Cut: Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller, Clay Guida Featherweight 1) Jose Aldo2) Hatsu Hioki3) Pat Curran4) Chan Sung Jung5) Chad Mendes Didnt Make The Cut: Erik Koch, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Siver Bantamweight 1) Dominick Cruz 2) Urijah Faber3) Renan Barao4) Brian Bowles5) Michael McDonald Didnt Make The Cut: Scott Jorgensen, Bibiano Fernandes, Brad Pickett ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

MONTREAL -- There didnt seem to be any pressure on rookies Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk the day after they were told they would be staying with the Montreal Canadiens. The linemates put up two points each, with 20-year-old Gallagher scoring his second goal of the season, as the Canadiens stretched their winning streak to four games with a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night. "Theres always going to be pressure on me, but you dont want to take your foot off the pedal," said the stocky, five-foot-eight Gallagher, who has four points in as many NHL games. "You want to play the same way and show the coaches that youre not going to relax just because they gave you the good news." The 18-year-old Galchenyuk, the third overall pick in the June draft, had a pair of assists and has five points in five games to start his NHL career. Tomas Plekanecs tie-breaking power play goal 5:31 into the third period was the game-winner for Montreal (4-1-0). Rene Bourque and Erik Cole each had their first of the season for the Canadiens, while Olli Jokinen had his first as a Jet. Nik Antropov and Blake Wheeler also scored for Winnipeg (3-2-1), which ended a three-game winning run. First-year general manager Marc Bergevin ended debate over whether Galchenyuk should be sent back to the junior Sarnia Sting and Gallagher to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs when it was announced Monday the two had made the team. Gallagher, a fifth-round pick in 2010, responded with a performance that earned him first star honours and prolonged applause from the 21,273 Bell Centre fans. Galchenyuk was named second star. "As a line, we just try to take care of our end and try to bring momentum and help the team," said Gallagher, whose unit also has tough winger Brandon Prust. "Were having a lot of fun as a team. "Its early in the season, but its going great so far." The Canadiens built a 2-0 lead only to see the opportunistic Jets take the lead in the second. Cole tied the game at 15:08 with assists from the rookies when he shovelled the puck in from the edge of the crease just after a power play ended. Plekanec got the game-winner on a blast from the right circle that went in off defenceman Ron Hainseys skate. The Jets had two late power plays, including one when Prust was called for diving after being hit from behind by Antropov. They didnt convert. "We had an opportunity to make it a game with two power plays in the third but we never got it in the zone with possession," said Winnipeg coach Claude Noel. "Then they come down and put one in off Hainseys skate. "It is what it is. It was 3-3 and we had a chance to win the game if we were patient, but we got the power plays and didnt capitalize." Bourque scored on a blast from outside the right circle on a power play that Ondrej Pavelec waved at 8:04 into the game, and Gallagher made it 2-0 with a shot off a rush that went in off the crossbar at 14:22. "One of the nicer ones Ill score, I guess," said the left winger, who gets most of his goals jamming pucks from the crease. Wheeler got one back as a bouncing shot got over Carey Prices arm on a power play at 16:10. A Jets power play had just ended but there was still heavy pressure in the Montreal zone when Antropov fired Bryan Littles rebound into an open side 3:32 into the second frame. Jokinen put Winnipeg ahead at 11:48 when he snapped a shot under the crossbar after a David Desharnais turnover in the neutral zone. The Jets went 1-for-6 on the power play while Montreals continued to click at 2-for-5. The top guns with the man advantage are point men Andrei Markov and Rafael Diaz, who had two assists each and share the team lead with seven points. Markov missed most of the last two seasons with consecutive knee ligament surgeries. It wasnt long ago that he was quarterback of one of the NHLs best power play units. "I remember back when we played with Kovy (Alex Kovalev) and Marky (Markov) and I think we were first in the league two years in a row," said Plekanec. "I feel its pretty much the same now. "He has a huge impact on our team, not only on the power play." Backup Peter Budaj is set to make his first start of the season in goal as the Canadiens face the Senators in Ottawa on Wednesday night. The Jets started a three-game road trip that takes them to Florida on Thursday and Tampa on Friday. Notes: The last time a team named Winnipeg Jets won in Montreal was March 1985. ... P.K. Subban will join the Canadiens in Ottawa on Wednesday but it is uncertain when he will play. Likely on the weekend. ... Defenceman Tomas Kaberle returned to the Montreal lineup, bumping Yannick Weber. ... Rookie Mark Scheifele was among Winnipegs scratches along with Anthony Peluso and Zach Redmond. Elite Sonny Jurgensen Jersey . Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists as the Senators spoiled the Jets home opener with a 4-1 victory Saturday afternoon. "I thought the game was played a little bit like a dogs breakfast . Alfred Morris Jersey . Leblanc earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after tying season highs for goals (four), assists (five) and points (nine) to lead Toronto in scoring during its 19-12 loss to Colorado on Saturday. http://www.redskinssportsgear.com/Clinton-Portis-Jersey-jc-37.html . The Goldeyes tallied six runs in the eighth inning beat the Sioux Falls Pheasants 8-2 Sunday night in the fourth game of their four-game weekend series before 2,476 fans at Sioux Falls Stadium. Youth Sonny Jurgensen Jersey . The former Canadian international served as interim Canadian mens coach in 2003, soothing the troubled waters in the wake of hard-nosed German Holger Osieck. Redskins Robert Griffin III Jersey . Jordan Zimmermann has been downright dominant. The right-hander turned in another dazzling performance with two-hit ball over eight innings, Ian Desmond hit a two-run homer in the fourth and the Nationals finally beat the Atlanta Braves, 2-0 Wednesday night.HOUSTON -- Houston Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry has had surgery to repair a sports hernia. The team said after the procedure Tuesday that he was expected to return to normal off-season training in 6-8 weeks. The 6-foot Lowry missed 19 games this season, mostly because of a bacterial infeection.dddddddddddd He sat out Houstons final two games with the sports hernia. Goran Dragic took over the starting job from Lowry in March and averaged 18 points and 8.4 assists in 28 starts. Lowry averaged 14 points and 6.6 assists in 47 games for the Rockets this season. ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

WASHINGTON -- John Wall had 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Emeka Okafor scored the go-ahead dunk in the final minute and the Washington Wizards won their eighth straight home game Tuesday night, beating the temperamental Chicago Bulls 90-86. Wall was 8 for 17 from the field and 11 for 13 at the free throw line as the Wizards maintained pursuit of their goal of becoming the best team not to make the playoffs. They want to pass the Philadelphia 76ers and finish ninth in the Eastern Conference -- not bad for a team that started 4-28 -- and Tuesdays win left them 2 1/2 games back with eight to play. Wall is averaging 23.7 points and 8.6 assists during the home winning streak. Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bulls, who are vying for home-court advantage in the playoffs. The loss put them two games behind the fourth-place Brooklyn Nets in the East. Chicago visits Brooklyn on Thursday. One of the Bulls biggest challenges was having enough players to finish the game. Taj Gibson left in the first half with a left knee injury and did not return, and Kirk Hinrich was tossed with 3:19 to play for picking up a pair of technicals after teammate Nazr Mohammed was called for basket interference while tipping in a rebound. Boozer was whistled for a technical in the third quarter, and Hinrich and Mohammed both picked up their fourth fouls in the third. Chicago was already without Derrick Rose (left knee), Joakim Noah (right foot), Marco Belinelli (abdominal strain) and Richard Hamilton (lower back). While the Bulls are undermanned, the Wizards are about as healthy as theyve been all season. Nene returned after missing four games with a sore right knee, leaving only out-for-the-year Leandro Barbosa (left knee) as the only player not available for coach Randy Wittman. Nene finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Neither team led by more than 10 in a game that matched teams equalized by their various injuries and motivations for the rest of the season. The Bulls did just enough to stay in front for most of three quarters, but the Wizards finally took their first lead of the game on Okafors 15-foot jumper with 3:38 to play in the third quarter. Washington lead 70-69 at the start of the fourth, and then the game became as quiet as the laid-back Verizon Center crowd. Only one point was scored in the first four minutes of the final period. Mohammeds tip-in tied the score at 71 with 7:50 to play got the game rolling again, and his later tip-in would have given the Bulls a lead had the ball not been in the cylinder. Hinrich was ejected in the aftermath of that call, but Wall made only one of two free throws to give the Wizards an 84-82 lead. Nate Robinson tied the game with a 21-foot jumper with 2:06 to play, and A.J. Price put Washington back in front with a baseline jumper with 1:41 remaining. Mohammeds putback tied the game again with 57 seconds left. Okafors dunk, on a feed from Nene, gave the Wizards an 88-86 lead with 46 seconds to play. Jimmy Butler missed a jumper for the Bulls, and Trevor Ariza made two free throws with 8 seconds remaining to give Washington the four-point margin of victory. Notes: Wall had the block of the game, using his right hand to slap away Dengs fast-break layup attempt in the second quarter. ... The Bulls committed only one turnover in the first half. ... The Wizards home winning streak is their longest since a 10-game run from Dec. 13, 2006 to Jan. 20, 2007. Orange Brian Hartline Jersey . Hornqvist suffered an upper body injury in a 6-0 win over the Oilers on Friday night when boarded by Oilers defenceman Theo Peckman. Wilson leads the Predators in both goals (seven) and points (19). He was standing at the goal line right of the Minnesota net when hit by Wild defenceman Justin Falk, pushing the forwards right side into the end boards in Saturday nights 2-1 shootout loss. Dolphins Dion Jordan Jersey . Pittsburgh has been perfect so far in March, going 9-0 to record the clubs longest winning streak since an 11-game run from Feb. 21-March 17 of last season. You can watch the game live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. http://www.dolphinssportsfanstore.com/pink-cameron-wake-womens-jersey-dp-91.html . Bryant scored 13 of his 42 points during a 20-0 run in the last 6:22 of the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles overcame a 25-point deficit to fend off the New Orleans Hornets, 108-102 on Wednesday night. Orange Mike Wallace Jersey . The team says the 32-year-old Morgan will join the BayStars on a one-year-deal worth $1.6 million. Morgan has a .280 batting average, 130 RBIs and 117 stolen bases over six seasons in the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers. Youth Dion Jordan Jersey . LOUIS -- Albert Pujols 465-foot home run got the St.LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Yasiel Puig powered the Dodgers in his second major league game, injecting the kind of excitement that has been missing all season for the last-place team. The 22-year-old Cuban defector homered twice and drove in five runs, helping Los Angeles rally for a 9-7 victory over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. Puig made two curtain calls from the top of the dugout steps, raising both arms to acknowledge the first one after his second homer, a two-run shot with two outs in the sixth, when the Dodgers scored three runs to snap a 6-all tie. "I want to thank the fans for coming out and supporting us," he said through a translator. "I want to do well." Batting leadoff for the second straight game, Puig hit a three-run homer — his first in the majors — on the first pitch from Padres starter Clayton Richard in the fifth, tying the game 5-all. "It looks like hes going to be a good hitter so you have to give him credit on that one," Richard said. Puig got both home run balls back as keepsakes with his parents and 17-year-old sister in attendance for the second straight night. "Im glad I hit two home runs," he said. "Im more happy because the team won." Puig became the first Dodgers player with more than one homer in his first two career games, and the first to have five RBIs in that span since Spider Jorgensen drove in six runs on April 17, 1947, against the Boston Braves, according to information provided to the Dodgers by Elias Sports Bureau. "The kid, when you trot out the offensive tools, there is some raw power in there, theres speed, there is strength to his swing," Padres manager Bud Black said. Puig had another first, albeit a not so welcome one. He committed his first throwing error that led to the Padres taking a 4-2 lead in the fourth. He went 2 for 4 in his debut on Monday night and wowed with a game-ending throw from deep right field that doubled off Chris Denorfia at first base. "Last night was storybook," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Tonight you were seeing the power, so its a big impact. Weve had a serious lack of power and run production, so its two things we need." Puig was 3 for 4 with a double to go with his homers. He runs hard to his position in right field, and he charges around the baseppaths.dddddddddddd "Theres an aggressiveness to the way he goes about playing baseball," Dodgers starter Ted Lilly said. "Hes up there with an intent to do damage." J.P. Howell (2-0) got the win in relief, allowing one run and two hits in 1 2-3 innings, struck out one and walked none. Brandon League pitched the ninth to earn his 13th save in 16 chances. Tyson Ross (0-2) gave up three runs and four hits in 2 1-3 innings, struck out four and walked one. Tim Federowicz went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Dodgers, who are 9-3 in their last 12 home games. Black was ejected by home plate umpire Tim Timmons in the eighth for arguing a call at first base on an inning-ending double play grounder by Denorfia. San Diego led 3-0 on Kyle Blanks two-run homer in the second. The Padres extended their lead to 5-2 in the fourth when Blanks scored as Puigs throw to third base sailed over Juan Uribes head, and Richard notched his first run-scoring single of the season. The Dodgers took a 6-5 lead in the fifth on Puigs homer and Hanley Ramirezs sacrifice fly. But San Diego tied it in the sixth on Denorfias RBI single. Luis Cruz, who entered the game as part of a double switch, had a two-out RBI double in the sixth that gave the Dodgers a 7-6 lead before Puigs second homer. Lilly allowed five runs and six hits in four-plus innings. The left-hander struck out three and walked two. Richard gave up six runs and five hits in 4 1-3 innings, struck out two and walked two. NOTES: Dodgers RHP Josh Beckett saw a specialist in Dallas on Tuesday who agreed with the teams diagnosis that he has nerve irritation affecting his right arm and hand. Beckett will return to the club on Wednesday to continue his rehab. Hes not expected to throw for four weeks. ... Dodgers reliever Matt Guerrier left the game in the sixth after getting hit on his right thumb by a line drive off the bat of Yasmani Grandal. X-rays were negative. ... Dodgers LHP Chris Capuano went on 15-day DL Tuesday with a left shoulder strain, while Ramirez was activated from the DL and started in the game. RHP Stephen Fife will start in Capuanos place on Saturday against Atlanta. ... Padres INF Yonder Alonso, who got hit by a pitch on his right hand last weekend, could return to the lineup on Wednesday. ' ' '

RE: General Tour Chat

WINNIPEG -- It was just another day in the office for Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin. Even though he scored once, added a pair of assists and heavy hits in Washingtons 4-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, he didnt think it was notable. "I felt normal," Ovechkin said. "If I have a chance to hit, why not?" Ovechkin boosted his teams intensity level by crushing Jets defenceman Mark Stuart and forward Bryan Little in the second period, sending the former to the dressing room. Stuart came back for one shift in the third period, but left the ice again. Jets head coach Claude Noel didnt have an update on his condition. Braden Holtby made 20 saves in his fourth shutout of the season and second against the Jets. He also blanked Winnipeg 3-0 on March 2, the only times Winnipeg has been shut out this season. Nicklas Backstrom scored once and had an assist for Washington (13-16-1), while Troy Brouwer and Marcus Johansson added goals as well. Ondrej Pavelec faced 25 shots as the Jets (16-13-2) had their three-game home winning streak snapped. Winnipeg stays in the Southeast Divisions top spot and the third seed in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost 4-1 to New Jersey on Thursday night. The Jets and Washington face off again Friday night in Winnipeg. "Its nice that its a short turnaround and we have a chance to redeem ourselves right away," said Jets captain Andrew Ladd. Washington head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was "good" and "solid." "Weve talked a lot about this, and he was more involved in the game," said Oates. "He needs to do the little things that let his game evolve and let Backie and Marcus evolve their games as well. "He ends up getting his goal, the (power play). It was late, but it doesnt matter, hes going to get it. He made a great play on the second goal and then he makes a good play on Backies (goal)." After a scoreless second period, Pavelec took a delay of game penalty late in the third and it proved costly. With Olli Jokinen serving the penalty, Ovechkin scored his 13th goal of the season. Backstrom sent a pass to Ovechkin and he fired it high on Pavelecs glove side at 14:06. It was then Ovechkins turn to send a pass to Backstrom in the high slot and he put the puck between Pavelec and the post at 18:22 of the third. Noel had no answers for what happened to his Jets, but said hed look at the film and try to find a solution for Friday. "We need to play better, that would be the first thing," Noel said. "Weve given up seven goals in two games (against Washington) and havent scored one. Theyre playing chess, were playing checkers." Brouwer opened the games scoring with a wrist shot from near the bottom of the faceoff circle that beat Pavelec at 3:06 of the first period, extending his points streak to three games (two goals, two assists). Brooks Laich assisted on the goal for his first point of the season after making his season debut March 19 following a lengthy groin injury. Late in the first, Ovechkin sent the puck past Winnipeg defenceman Dustin Byfuglien to Johannson, who redirected it into the net at 16:22 for the 2-0 lead. Capitals defenceman Mike Green was back on the ice after missing 10 games with a groin injury, which Oates said allowed fellow blue-liner John Carlson to have a bit of rest. "We keep him a little fresher, maybe a little sharper," Oates said. "It trickles down through the lineup." Youth Buccaneers Jersey . Corbin Watson recorded his fourth shutout of the tournament as the Canadians finished the tournament with an undefeated 5-0 record, outscoring their opponents 20-3. It is the third time Canada has won gold at the event, having taken the top prize in 2000 and 2008. Womens Darrelle Revis Jersey . Rizzo hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and lifted the Chicago Cubs over the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Sunday. [url=http://www.buccaneersportsgear.com/Advanced/Search?keywords=Throwback]http://www.buccaneersportsgear.com/Advanced/Search?keywords=Throwback .cas 2013 Play of the Year Showdown is the battle of the 2004 NHL entry draft. Youth Darrelle Revis Jersey . Jordan Zimmermann has been downright dominant. The right-hander turned in another dazzling performance with two-hit ball over eight innings, Ian Desmond hit a two-run homer in the fourth and the Nationals finally beat the Atlanta Braves, 2-0 Wednesday night. Elite Mike Alstott Jersey . The win gave the Dutch a 2-1 record in Group B and made sure they will play in the second round in Tokyo. Schoops homer capped a three-run second inning for the Dutch. Starting pitcher Robbie Cordemans allowed two hits in five innings. LONDON -- Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and Robin van Persie have been nominated by their peers for Englands Player of the Year award. The Professional Footballers Association has shortlisted six players for the prize, with Michael Carrick, Eden Hazard and Juan Mata completing the list. Bale, who was Player of the Year in 2011, has scored 22 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions and leads Tottenhams charge for a place in next seasons Champions League.dddddddddddd The winger faces strong competition from Van Persie, last years winner, who has hit the net 25 times in his first season for Manchester United. Suarez has scored 29 goals for Liverpool, including a Premier League-high 22. Chelsea teammates Mata and Hazard are outsiders, along with Carrick, a Manchester United midfielder. The winner is to be announced on April 28. ' ' '